Explore Story Books to promote EQ

Emotional intelligence promotes children's success in school and in life. As well, it promises a society where people respect each other. A society which cherishes peace, generosity, kindness, compassion and empathy. In this difficult time, when the 'bad' news outnumbered the 'good' ones, the time is right to focus on teaching emotional intelligence to our future leaders, the young children.

There are a number of strategies to teach Emotional Intelligence. One effective way is to explore storybooks. Looking at the pictures and listening to the stories, children gain insights about positive behaviors. They learn healthy ways to control powerful emotions and face difficulties.

From my library, I found several children's story books which promote self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills, the five main aspects of EQ. Here are seven of them:

1. A Salmon for Simon (B. Waterton & A. Blades, 2013)

He would dig a channel for the salmon to swim down to the sea. That was what he had to do. Simon began to dig. The wet sand was heavy. He dug and dug. After a while, he stopped and looked to see how far he had gone, but he had not gone very far at all. He kept on digging. His mother called him for supper, but he couldn't go because he hadn't finished yet. The salmon was lying quietly now in the shallow water, waiting.

2, Grandma Lives In Us (A. Gotera & A.Tecson, revised 2016)

Simone sat down on the floor in one corner of the room, numbed with shock. She whispered, "Dead, dead, dead! Grandma is dead."

Trying to understand what happened, Simone tried to remember the times she had heard the word "dead."

Playing out Simone's idea, her aunts and uncles tried to look and act like Grandma. This was not a difficult thing to do since they all knew their mother's mannerism, how she spoke, and how she looked like. Sadness left the room as the Grandma play-acting session brought smiles all around.

Simone looked happily at each member of her family, and whispered, "Goodbye, Grandma. You still live in my family. You live in us!"

3. Monsters, Inc. (Disney's Wonderful World of Reading)

Times passed, and Sulley turned the Scream Floor into a Laugh Floor.

There, monsters made kids laugh instead of scream to get energy. Boo had showed them that laughter was ten times as powerful as screams. The energy crisis was over in Monstropolis! Still, Sulley missed his little friend, Boo. So one day, Mike glued her entire door back together. That way, Sulley could visit Boo whenever he liked! And that's just what he did!

4. When I Feel Good about Myself (C. Spelman, (2003)

I don't have to look like anyone else, be the same size or do the same things. It's fine to be me.

5. The Search For The Great Valley(A. Lucas/Spielberg presentation, l988)
"My heart....." Littlefoot murmured. "My heart tells me they're my friends. I have to help them. Without me to show them the way, they have no hope. And I have learned that that is the most terrible thing of all."

6. A Big Fat Enormous Lie (M.Sharmat, 1978)

" I lied to you. I know who ate the cookies. Someone I like very much ate the cookies. He sort of ate one and then he sort of ate another and then he sort of ate another. He sort of ate all the cookies in the jar. Yes, I sort of ate them. Me. Your son. Are you going to do anything about it, Father? Mother?"

7. That's What Friends Are For (Walt Disney Productions, l98l)

With one great splash, Tod clutched the vine in his teeth. He held it very tight. Then Copper slowly pulled him to the shore.

Safe at last, Tod smiled at his friend. "Copper," he said, "you're the greatest!" The little hound smiled back. "It was nothing," he said. "You would have done the same for me."